Counterfeit money found in HarrisonHARRISON — Harrison police warn that counterfeit money has surfaced in their city. The bogus bills circulated recently include $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes. A motel employee said that, on Sunday, a guest tried to pay for a room with a fake $100 bill, but later provided good currency. Branches of two banks received bad money Monday. The Harrison Daily Times reported Wednesday that Police Chief Paul Woodruff said businesses that receive the coun...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Engineer suggests updating Jonesboro airport master planJONESBORO — A consulting engineer is suggesting that the Jonesboro Municipal Airport update its outdated master plan. Mike Stengel of Michael Baker International in Little Rock believes a new plan could cost as much as $400,000, the Jonesboro Sun reported Wednesday (http://bit.ly/1oXqCSs ). The city’s airport commission has $300,000 set aside to update the document, which is currently two decades old. “Jonesboro has had a lot of change ... so ...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Judge re-sentences 2 men convicted in 1977 death• Vilonia to open first above-ground storm shelter VILONIA — The central Arkansas city of Vilonia is set to open its first above-ground storm shelter later this month, two years after a deadly tornado swept through the town. KTHV-TV (http://bit.ly/1WpweCI ) reports that the city was granted $28,000 to put toward the construction of a safe room in the aftermath of the 2014 tornado. The shelter, called a Stormbox, can hold up to 40 people and is...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Arkansas roads and Medicaid funds now oddly linked LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday his plan to raise money for Arkansas' highways is dead if the state's hybrid Medicaid expansion ends, his latest warning to fellow Republicans who have vowed to defund the expanded coverage for thousands of poor people. Hutchinson said he won't put his proposal to tap into general revenue and surplus funds for state roads before lawmakers if the expanded coverage ends. Lawmakers last week approved...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Growing! UACCM breaks ground Friday on Workforce Training CenterMORRILTON — The University of Arkansas Community College in Morrilton will break ground on the new Workforce Training Center at 10 a.m., Friday, April 29, 2016. The groundbreaking will take place at 112 Timberwolf Drive, in the west parking lot of the University Center. All are invited to attend and asked to park in the lots south and north of the University Center. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Fine Arts ...

Lightning, possible static, blamed for fires in ArkansasEL DORADO — Thunderstorms with high winds and frequent lightning rolled across Arkansas' southern counties on Monday, bowling over trees and starting a number of fires. Forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center said the threat could last into Monday evening over the southern two-thirds of the state. The chance of tornadoes was low, but not zero. Lightning or static electricity triggered a fire in a storage tank at an oil processing plant at E...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Arkansas House leaders detail cuts if Medicaid plan failsLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas' public schools, colleges, prisons, foster care system and a host of other services face significant cuts if lawmakers don't keep the state's hybrid Medicaid expansion, House Speaker Jeremy Gillam said Monday as he geared up for a funding battle over the program. Gillam released an alternative budget detailing the potential cuts as lawmakers prepare to return to the Capitol this week for a session expected to focus on th...

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BY ANDREW DEMILLO ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Barn, road among 9 Arkansas places pitched for historic listLITTLE ROCK — A mule sale barn and a concrete road in Arkansas are among nine properties nominated for the National Register of Historic Places this year. The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program said two houses, two churches, two downtown areas and a clubhouse are also on the nominations list. Program director Frances McSwain said the program's state review board nominated the properties at its Wednesday meeting. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazet...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Tougher fight ahead on Arkansas Medicaid planLITTLE ROCK — With clear majorities in both chambers of the Legislature, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson easily won support for his plan to keep and rework the state’s hybrid Medicaid expansion. His reward? The type of protracted, divisive fight over the program he’s sought to avoid and the prospect of an unprecedented shutdown of state government. The Legislature’s approval of bills outlining Hutchinson’s proposed restrictions for the hybrid exp...

Arkansas Medicaid plan approvedLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed into law Friday his plan to keep the state’s first-in-the-nation hybrid Medicaid expansion and urged fellow Republicans to avoid a Washington-style shutdown fight over their efforts to defund the program. The bills outline Hutchinson’s proposal to rework the program, which uses federal funds to purchase private insurance for more than 250,000 low-income people. The House and Senate approved the...

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BY ANDREW DEMILLO ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Governor: An Arkansas solutionLITTLE ROCK — There was one key bill on the agenda of the three-day extraordinary session of the General Assembly: Arkansas Works. Arkansas Works provides greater emphasis on work opportunities, requires a personal investment in healthcare, increases usage of employer-based insurance and implements cost-saving measures. Almost two weeks before the special session, my office introduced our draft of the Arkansas Works legislation. Since then, we...

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Gov. Asa Hutchinson columnThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Arkansas lawmakers give initial OK to hybrid Medicaid planLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson's plan to keep the state's hybrid Medicaid expansion won initial approval from lawmakers Thursday, in a vote that signaled a tough battle ahead against an attempt by opponents of the program to block its funding. The House approved by a 70-30 vote Hutchinson's proposal to rework the program, which uses federal funds to purchase private insurance for the poor. The Senate approved an identical version o...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Justices side with Bella Vista officer after false arrestLITTLE ROCK — A split Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a Bella Vista police officer doesn't have to face trial after arresting the wrong woman on an outstanding warrant. Officer Travis Trammell argued that he never intended to falsely imprison the woman and that he should have immunity from the lawsuit she filed against him. The justices voted 7-2 to grant him immunity, with the dissenters saying the woman who was arrested should hav...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

State medical board to use "unborn child" in abortion rulesLITTLE ROCK — Under orders from lawmakers, a divided Arkansas State Medical Board voted Thursday to replace the term "fetus" with "unborn child" and "unborn human individual" in proposed regulations implementing abortion-related laws passed by the state Legislature. The board had presented the wording governing abortion procedures for doctors in January, changing the Legislature's language to "fetus" because its members said that was an accept...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Arkansas lawmakers advance hybrid Medicaid expansionLITTLE ROCK — Gov. Asa Hutchinson called the debate over Arkansas' hybrid Medicaid expansion a "watershed" moment on Wednesday, as lawmakers advanced his plan to keep and rework the program that provides subsidized health coverage to more than 250,000 people. The House and Senate are set to take up legislation Thursday outlining the Republican's proposal to keep the hybrid expansion after the plan easily cleared two committees at the start of ...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Men accused of withholding funds from Hope hospitalTEXARKANA — Two men have been charged with failing to turn over more than $6 million in withholding taxes collected from hospital employees in Hope. James Cheek, 67, and Herschel Breig Sr., 68, pleaded not guilty in federal court Tuesday to nine charges. They’re accused of pocketing more than $6 million in federal income, social security and Medicare taxes collected from staff at Hope Medical Park Hospital from May 2008 to April 2012. Cheek an...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Minister convicted in tax scam• Texarkana voters to weigh in on anti-discrimination policy TEXARKANA — Texarkana, Arkansas, residents will vote on whether the city's new anti-discrimination policy will stay or go. The Texarkana Gazette (http://bit.ly/1TzzGd2 ) reports that members of the city's board of directors voted Monday to use nearly $23,000 of the city's fund balance to pay for a special election on June 28, when residents will decide whether or not to keep the M-13...

Hutchinson says managed care won't be on session agendaLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday dropped his proposal to have private firms manage some services for the disabled and mentally ill, saying he'll limit this week's legislative session to his hybrid Medicaid expansion proposal. The Republican governor formally called lawmakers back to the Capitol on Wednesday to take up his plan to keep and rework the hybrid expansion, which uses federal funds to purchase private insurance f...

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Little Rock to consider having fewer billboards• Arkansas revenue nearly $73M ahead of forecast for year LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas finance officials say a boost in tax collections and lower than expected refunds last month pushed the state's revenue for the year so far nearly $73 million higher than forecast. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration said Monday that net available revenue in March totaled $413.7 million. That's $48.6 million above the same month last year and $41....

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley